The 2009 NBA Finals - Lakers vs. Magic
- Thread starter AJ_II
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I don't think anyone wants it more than Kobe at this point. He desperately wants to win a ring without Shaq. And he has a tremendous team to help him do it this year, especially with a healthy Trevor Ariza.
I think you are right though, should be a good series.
I'll predict the Lakers in 6.
They'll hold on (just barely) to games 1 & 2 in LA, then win 1 out of 3 in Orlando, then game 6 at home.
They'll hold on (just barely) to games 1 & 2 in LA, then win 1 out of 3 in Orlando, then game 6 at home.
You have to remember that Orlando beat the #1 team 4-2. If they can beat Cleavland with Lebron's 40+ point games, they should be able to contain Kobe.
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It was 4-2, but I see what you're saying. The difference is though, LeBron was forced to score around 40 just for his team to be competitive against Orlando, while Kobe has other options he can count on during the course of the game. LeBron had no help...he was a one-man team out there. So even if Orlando is able to contain Kobe to, say, less than 30, they still have guys like Gasol and Odom to worry about.
It'll be interesting to see how Phil Jackson decides to defend the Magic. You have to pick your poison with them...double-team Howard and leave their shooters open, or just guard Howard one-on-one and let him dominate the paint? And will he stick with the starting lineup that includes Andrew Bynum? The thought being, either Gasol or Bynum would have to guard Howard, then the other would be stuck with who? Rashard Lewis or Turkoglu? Good luck chasing them around. I wouldn't be surprised to see Odom in the starting lineup this series for that reason.
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My bad, I fixed it.
It's kinda sad that all that work Lebron did and he still couldn't make it. Wonder if he'll want to be traded to a better team now.
Well he's not going to be traded. But LeBron is a free agent after next season, it'll be interesting to see what happens.
I'm hoping ABC will show some highlights tonight from the Magic's last appearance in the Finals.
I would think Cleveland would want to build a better team around him, to keep him there. The Yao Ming to Cleveland rumors are interesting.
Mo Williams was supposed to be the Pippen to his Jordan, but that never materialized, at least not when it counted.
Mo Williams was supposed to be the Pippen to his Jordan, but that never materialized, at least not when it counted.
Too slow. They need an athletic center to keep up with the likes of Howard. The question isn't Cleveland "keeping" Lebron, its Lebron staying in town. I would think that he's a "hometown" type guy who would stick around, especially with Cleveland being able to provide a bit more money than others, but the NBA works in strange ways. From folded envelopes to odd bounces in the ping-pong ball dispenser, the NBA seems to have a knack for "making things happen" in the best interest of the NBA. If the NBA wants Lebron in a bigger market, they will figure out a way to make it happen behind closed doors. Give a businessman like Dan Gilbert (Cavs owner) a deal he can't refuse, and they might "let" Lebron take a walk. Gilbert has roots in Detroit, not Cleveland - so could just sell to the Chinese investors (currently on the hook for buying a sizeable minority share of the team)and take his money back to Detroit. Then.... The Yao rumours have something behind them.
He actually was until meeting up with teams having bigger guards = the ones the Cavs couldn't beat consistently = Orlando and the Lakers. The Cavs are provided a blueprint for offseason moves by watching the finals. The Lakers eliminated Howard *AND* the shooters with using their size on the perimeter. Once both of those were gone, the Magic were toast. 66 (should have been 67 with the starters on the bench the last game) wins showed that this undersized team was good enough to compete with nearly everyone. They had three matchup problems, with Garnet's departure making it down to two. Unfortunately, those were the two standing in the way of the championship.
I think David Stern and ABC are both a little bummed right now. Game 1 last night received 15% less viewers than the Game 1 last year between LA and Boston. Obviously Stern and ABC can't come out and say it, but they wanted LeBron in these Finals along with Kobe.
The '09 Playoffs have been tremendous up until this point. I just hope The Finals don't end up being anticlimactic. Orlando HAS TO show up on Sunday night.
I didn't watch last night, I don't believe I'll be watching any of the games. If it turns out like I think it will, I won't have to.
Lakers favored by only 6.5 tonight. I thought it would be closer to 10 considering what happened in Game 1.
I don't see Orlando winning, but you have to assume it'll be a little more competitive tonight. It has to be, right?
I don't see Orlando winning, but you have to assume it'll be a little more competitive tonight. It has to be, right?
It was low-scoring, but still, a well-played and exciting game I thought. Courtney Lee must be nauseous today.